


and are each other's guests

by Shoshanah-ben-hohim (Shoshanah_ben_hohim)



Series: A Hogwarts Shabbat [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 3, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-15 22:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1320910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shoshanah_ben_hohim/pseuds/Shoshanah-ben-hohim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As they sat down to eat, with the candlelight casting dancing shadows on the walls and the stars twinkling merrily at them through the window, Sophie began to believe that she would like Hogwarts after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and are each other's guests

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LaDonnaErrante](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaDonnaErrante/gifts).



Sophie mumbled a shy hello, glancing up at the boys. She vaguely remembered Jacob from the sorting – Jacob Goldstein was a rather obviously Jewish name, and his heritage was especially clear when combined with the dark curly hair and distinctive nose he shared with his older brother.

 

Anthony smiled at her and quickly excused himself to get a fourth chair and place setting, while Terry ushered her into a seat next to Jacob, who grinned at her.

 

“This is excellent!” He said happily. “Ant says he had Shabbat with two other people last year, but now they’ve graduated and I thought it was going to be just us! And Terry, of course. He’s not Jewish but he’s very religious and he says it’s always good to spend a little more time thinking about God, so he does Shabbat too.” Terry laughed at this, but didn’t contradict it, so she supposed it must be true.

 

“Are we the only ones, then?” Sophie asked timidly. Terry shrugged.

 

“Jews, you mean? At Hogwarts, yes, I think you are. Obviously there are more in the Wizarding World, but religious beliefs and practices don’t seem to have any real place in Magical society. Michael – he’s one of my dormmates – thinks that only Muggleborns and some half-bloods practice any sort of religion beyond the most basic celebration of Easter and Christmas.” Anthony had returned while Terry was speaking, depositing a plate and some cutlery on the table and setting down a chair.

 

“We’ve got to be careful not to bore her, Terry.” He cautioned playfully. “She’s a Gryffindor, not a Ravenclaw!”

 

“Oh, it was interesting!” Sophie protested earnestly. Anthony laughed.

 

“Perhaps you ought to have been one of us, then. You might have been accidentally switched with Jake, I couldn’t believe it when the hat didn’t put him in Gryffindor.” Anthony tousled Jacob’s hair fondly, and he jerked away, scowling.

 

“I’m just as smart as you, Anthony!” He grumbled. “I’m just a Gryffindorish sort of Ravenclaw, I guess.”

 

“Then maybe I’m a Ravenclawish sort of Gryffindor,” Sophie said, wondering if that was the real reason she didn’t fit in with her dormmates.

 

“A Gryffindorish sort of Ravenclaw and a Ravenclawish sort of Gryffindor?” Terry laughed. “You’ll have to be friends!”

 

“We’ll have to be anyway.” Jacob said bluntly, “Or Friday nights won’t be much fun.”

 

“Speaking of which,” Anthony said, clearing his throat, “We’d best get going, so Sophie has time to eat before we walk her back to Gryffindor. Sophie, the lady of the house lights the candles, and you’re the lady at the table…” Sophie gave Anthony a glowing smile. She was getting candle-lighting, dinner, and an escort to prevent her from getting lost later. Things were definitely looking up.

 

Sophie took the book of matches Anthony handed to her and struck one, carefully lighting first one candle, then the other. She drew her hands over the flames three times, then covered her eyes, just as she’d watch her mother do on a thousand Friday nights at home.

 

“Baruch atah Adonai…” She sang, feeling less homesick by the minute. When she finished, Anthony raised his glass, and gestured for them to do the same. To Sophie’s surprise, he did not sing the short, simple blessing for the wine, but the longer, more comprehensive Kiddush. Perhaps the Goldsteins were more religious than Sophie’s family, who only did the candle-lighting blessing, although the Hebrew words Anthony was singing were familiar.

 

Sophie joined in loud and strong on the Amen, before drinking from her goblet of what seemed to be grape juice, rather than real wine. Oh, well – it was probably unreasonable to expect Hogwarts to allow underage drinking – providing the Challah was concession enough to the religious needs of a minority, in Sophie’s eyes.

 

Sophie put down her grape juice and looked eagerly at the Challah, wondering if she would be expected to do the Motzi, as well, but Jacob picked it up before she could ask.  


“Baruch atah Adonai…” he sang beaming around the room at them when everyone, even Terry joined in at the end. “Ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz!” they sang, and as they sat down to eat, with the candlelight casting dancing shadows on the walls and the stars twinkling merrily at them through the window, Sophie began to believe that she would like Hogwarts after all.

**Author's Note:**

> This series would work better as a one-shot - sorry for breaking it up this way, I hope people enjoy it anyway!


End file.
